Holocaust-Era Assets Finding Aid

Civilian Agency Records

State Department and Foreign Affairs Records

Records of the Foreign Service Posts of the Department
of State (RG 84)

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

On June 22, 1941, the German Army invaded the Soviet Union and immediately Jews, political leaders, Communists, and Gypsies were killed in mass executions. These murders were carried out by members of mobile killing squads (Einsatzgruppen), who followed in the wake of the invading soldiers. (Note 7) At Babi Yar, near Kiev, some 33,000 persons, mostly Jews, were murdered. Estimated that over 1.2 Russian Jews, mostly from the Ukraine, were exterminated in the Final Solution.

By the time the Russians were able to force the German Army out of their territory, the Soviet Union had suffered tremendously, suffering 20-25 million people killed. In addition 2.4 million Russians, including 500,000 Russian POWs, were sent to Germany as forced labor and much Russian wealth and property were seized by the Germans, ranging from industrial plants to cultural treasures. About 30 percent of the national wealth was destroyed. (Note 8)